The tournament ended and I sat outside the saddle shop with my horse with my hands behind my head. I smiled and whistled a little tune. "You know I have to give you a name...how does Nebula sound?"
My horse looked at me then looked ahead. She whinnied a bit and I chuckled. I heard someone walking up to me and opened my eyes. I looked over to see Takesi holding a letter to me.
"The Queen requests you to come to her castle immediately." Takesi said.
I took the letter from his hand then read the letter. I stood up and grunted softly then smiled. I put the letter in the pocket of the saddle on Nebula's back. I hopped on the saddle and grabbed the leash of the saddle. "Let's go."
Nebula neighed and galloped to the castle in the far distance. I looked ahead then closed my eyes and thought about the letter that was sent. Azusa wanted to duel with me, her letter was filled with desperation and resentment for me. I couldn't help myself but smile. I opened my eyes and my eyes shined. I clicked my teeth and Nebula began galloping faster.
We made it to the castle and I pulled on the leash then Nebula neighed and got on her hind legs. She got back down and shook her head, snorting. I got off the saddle and rubbed her mane then took out an apple from my bag and gave it to her. She whinnied then gently ate the apple from my hand. I set my bag on the ground and grabbed my sword off the saddle.
I walked towards the castle and the guards let me through. I looked at them and noticed the gates of the castle open then I walked through. I looked ahead and noticed Azusa standing in front of me. I rested my sword against my shoulder.
"Follow me." Azusa said then walked off.
I followed her and noticed the little girl behind a pillar. She looked at me and I looked at her. She looked at me in awe then followed us out of curiosity. Azusa and I entered her personal battlefield behind the castle and she stopped walking once she reached the middle. I stopped walking and looked at her.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Queen Azusa, ruler of the Athirus Kingdom. My kingdom is known for its ninja and great knights. I myself am an assassin who went to war with the other 19 kingdoms and came out on top due to my swiftness and assassination skills." She started then threw a smoke bomb down and appeared in her assassin's clothing. She had a black scarf around her neck and her blue eyes shined brightly. She pointed her sword at me. "Now tell me who you truly are, Emperor Ryoma."
I looked at her and closed my eyes then chuckled lightly. "I really do like my women hard to get."
"Don't test me, I can kill you where you stand. This is an official royal battle between two powerful noble figures. I have told you who I am, now tell me about yourself." Azusa said.
"I am Ryoma. Previous Emperor of Yesha. I am the eldest son of Empress Iena Miyazaki who passed away years ago in my arms. I am the King of 1000 Techniques as you've probably heard. I know all Seven Royal Stances, I can copy any attack, technique, stance, and ability just by seeing it. I hold the power of Arcane Energy and use my mother's legendary blade named Arcane." I started.
"Arcane Energy. What is that..? And that sword. It can change form. How..?" Azusa asked and lowered her sword.
I unsheathed my blade and looked at it. "Arcane Energy is a double edged sword. It is a curse and a blessing. If you can't control Arcane Energy, you will die from it. If you can control it, you can control any form of magic, any form of ability, you will have strength of legend. And my sword has four forms, Willbreaker: The Absolute Attack, Omni Protector: Absolute Defense, Faithkeeper: Absolute Support, and the Yeshan Form."
"Hmph...you seem very powerful, but here...we women worked hard to dethrone every king here. My late husband met his end with my blade. The Kings of this land were ruthless. Innocent people met their ends for petty reasons. You will not come and ruin the peace we have created." Azusa said.
"Hmph. I have yet told you my other reason, but I will save it after defeating you in battle." I said and got into my Royal Yeshan Stance.
"You're that confident you're going to win. Your arrogance will be your downfall!" Azusa got in a stance. She held her sword with both hands and raised it up.
She dashed to me and vanished. She appeared behind me and I used my aura to block her slash then she vanished again then appeared above me, slashing down. I parried her attack then kicked her away. I dashed to her and slashed, but she blocked it and we entered a blade lock. She glared and pushed my sword down with hers then jumped and double kicked my face. I grunted and stumbled back then looked up and noticed her in the air.
"I'm ending this quickly!" Azusa bellowed and her sword shined. "Silencer heed my call."
"Hmph...Arcane, Omni Protector." I said then my sword began to change forms. My sword shined and slowly turned into a claymore. The blade was white, wide, and pointed at the tip of the blade. The hilt was silver and the handle was blue.
"Twilight Breaker!" Azusa bellowed and flew down to me at high speeds and slashed.
I blocked her attack and a powerful repulsive force was released. She grunted and bellowed. I stood my ground and pushed her back then dashed to her and slashed upwards. She blocked then grunted when I broke through her guard. I kicked her away and chuckled.
"Watch and learn." I said and slashed five times, releasing five cutting waves at her.
She grunted and parried all of them then the last one caused an explosion. She slid back and gasped when she noticed me appear in front of her. Her eyes widened a bit.
"Oathbreaker." I said then slashed and hit her.
She groaned loudly as she was sent flying in the air. I charged up for a slash then when she landed on the ground I slashed downward. She groaned and a massive dust cloud formed. I jumped back and my sword reverted back to it's Origin Form. The smoke cleared and she slowly stood up, coughing a bit of blood.
"I'm..not done yet. You won't defeat me so easily!" She yelled and her aura surged powerfully.
I smiled as her aura generated powerful winds. "Arcane. Let's get serious now. Yeshan Form."
My sword began to change forms and the blade grew longer then emitted purple aura as it changed into its Yeshan Form. I got into my original stance. She got in her stance and glared. She dashed to me and vanished once again. She appeared above me and threw down a smoke bomb. I looked around and sensed her behind me then turned around and slashed. She phased through my attack then appeared behind me and kicked me away. I grunted and rolled forward then sensed her on both sides of me. I slashed in a circle and she phased through my attack once again.
"This is my Phantom Technique. You can't copy what you can't see. You can't attack something that isn't real." She appeared in front of me and struck my chest with her palm, causing my heart to skip a few beats then vanished again.
I gasped and stumbled back, grunting. I coughed and sensed her vanish and reappear around me. I looked around myself and couldn't tell which one was the real her. Compared to Kotone, Azusa's clones or phantoms moved around constantly. She began striking me in all directions and I groaned with each hit.
"What's the matter? Can't fight back?!" She bellowed and kicked me away then appeared behind me and kicked me away once again. She bellowed and slashed five times, releasing five cutting waves at me.
I landed on my feet then my aura surged powerfully, blocking the cutting waves. I gripped my sword then my markings slowly appeared on the right side of my body. My right eye shined blue and I looked back.
"I know your technique. I know how to counter your attack! You lose, Ryoma. This will be your final resting place!" Azusa bellowed then dashed to me and vanished.
I stood there and watched her phantoms move around me then I slashed in front of me and heard a clash. The real Azusa looked a bit surprised and slid back after she blocked my attack. I dashed to her and she vanished then I slashed in a circle and heard another clash and Azusa appeared then slid back.
"What..? How is he countering me now..?" Azusa asked.
I turned around and looked at her and my blue eye shined. I got in my stance again. "The Eye of Arcane sees through all techniques. I am the best tactician of my land. With the power of my late mother, I've become the last of my bloodline. Once I die, the Arcane comes with me. I've understood your technique. You are always either in front of me, behind me, or beside me. Your phantoms are an illusion. Granted I can't see you while you're invisible, but I hear your footsteps before you attack. Your phantoms don't make sound, but you do."
"That doesn't matter because you haven't seen my ultimate attack!" Azusa yelled and her aura began to fuse with her sword. "This attack...will end you for good!"
I glared at her then she dashed to me and bellowed. My eyes emitted aura and I watched her. She was coming at me head on.
"Final Annihilation!" She bellowed and spun around three times then slashed using her momentum.
I parried her attack and she grunted then I kicked her away. I got in the Dagrax Stance and dashed to her. "Emperor's Impact."
I said then slashed in a circle. She parried the first slash, but was hit four more times. She groaned loudly then I slashed in a circle again, hitting her another five times. She was sent flying in the air then I spun around one more time and jumped then slashed downwards, hitting her. She yelled then hit the ground and I landed beside her. Her aura vanished and my did as well.
"Mama lost..?" The young girl said in awe and looked at me.
Azusa opened her eyes slightly, noticing she was still alive. "Wha- Why haven't you finished me off..?"
"Why would I? I'm not here to kill any of the queens. Yes I am here to conquer for the legend, but I am here for one other reason." I said.
"You're foolish to not kill me!" She said then grabbed her sword and got up. She slashed at me and I dodged. "This is a royal battle! It doesn't end unless one of us dies!"
I caught her wrist on her next slash then disarmed her and sweep kicked her feet from under her. I got on top of her and pinned her down. "I'm not killing you!"
"Then what do you want to do with me?! If you're not gonna kill me, what will you do?! Banish me to the dungeons?! Dethrone me?! Tell me!" Azusa yelled.
"I want to marry you." I said. "I want to marry you and the other 19 Queens."
She blushed and looked at me surprised. She looked away in embarrassment and closed her eyes. "Just kill me now. How foolish are you..? You want me to marry you? You are getting my kingdom and my people-"
"Keep them. I will allow you to keep your people, your kingdom. The only reward I want and need is to be your husband. I don't come here to kill like I've done in my past. I've come to seek love...the lust of a wife and hope to father my wives children. I want to revive my bloodline. Start new." I looked at her and she looked at me.
"You're saying you'll allow me to keep everything, but all you want is to be my husband and my daughter's father..and the father of our future children..?" She asked.
I let her go and got off her. "That is the only thing I want. I don't seek too much power. I have enough of it. But if I conquer Uthea, I can meet one of the Goddesses who watch over Uthea. Hopefully meet the Goddess of Wishes or Blessings."
She sat up and closed her eyes. "You are a strange one...I don't know what to say. The only other time I've been offered to marry someone was when the previous king ruled."
"I will give you time to think about it." I stood up and walked over to grab my scabbard off the ground. I looked ahead, noticing the young girl watching.
"You're planning to be my new daddy and let me have more siblings?" She asked and her eyes sparkled.
"Eh?" Azusa said, hearing her daughter. "Mari! What are you doing here?"
"Mama!" She ran to her excitedly. "He's gonna be my new daddy? He's super strong and he even beat Takesi! I wanna learn from him!"
Azusa looked at her daughter and back at me then sighed. "Meet me in my room later tonight for the discussion of the contract of our marriage. I will let the guards and my retainers know you aren't a threat. I will let you have your own chambers in this castle. If anything goes awry and you're the cause of it, I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand."
"That is fine by me." I smiled at her and rested the scabbard of my sword against my shoulder.